Organizers: Tampa schedule at Isaac's mercy

By Alexander Burns

08/26/12 06:07 PM EDT

Organizers of the Republican National Convention vowed to press on with a full roster of events in Tampa starting Tuesday morning, despite the continuing menace of Tropical Storm Isaac as it moves up the Florida seaboard and toward the Gulf Coast.

But GOP officials acknowledged that the storm -- which is expected to become a hurricane, and in some models is tracking toward New Orleans -- may force additional changes to the schedule, and declined to rule out extending the convention into Friday under an extraordinary circumstance.

Romney adviser Russ Schriefer told reporters on a conference call that they "were able to maintain all our headliners" in the speaker lineup by shortening some speeches and cutting events not viewed as "essential."

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who were scheduled to speak Monday, will now speak Tuesday. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will now speak Wednesday and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will speak Thursday.

The primetime schedule for the three remaining nights of the convention is unchanged.

Schriefer acknowledged that inclement weather could force additional revisions to the game plan, but did not specify what changes might be on the table.

In addition to the logistical problems of holding a convention during a major storm, there is concern among some Republicans about the potential optics of holding a political bash as Isaac strikes the Gulf Coast. Many in the party remember with trepidation the political backlash they faced in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

"There's a weather event. We all know that the weather event is there," Schriefer said. "At the same time, we're obviously monitoring what is going on with the weather. Our concern has to be with the people who are in the path of the storm."

Asked directly about the prospect of adding a new day of programming Friday, Schriefer did not give a definitive answer: "Certainly if the weather changes in a way that we have to make some changes, you know, it's a hypothetical question."